Humans vs the State

Chintito

Since time immemorial, States have been waging wars against other states (and regions), as well as practising surreptitious and wholesale intimidation against individuals and groups within and outside their borders, usually only to accomplish their expansionist design, or selfish and wrongful economic agenda, or political and religious supremacy.

Under-attack States will obviously counter an assault, do or die. Individuals on the other hand have always risen above the oppressive tactics of the State machinery, yes that's it, a machine, devoid of any humanism.1971 too saw several brave and dissident Pakistanis protesting the inhuman atrocities of the Pakistan junta on the unarmed people of Bangladesh.

The term “self-defence”, a right recognised in every court of law, has painfully taken a ludicrously unheard-of connotation given Israel's reason to pulverise Gaza beginning 8 July 2014. Once again, individuals have spoken and acted, humanism lives.

“I am unware of any animal that is as cruel as Israelis – not even crocodiles. They bomb schools, hospitals, refugee camps, orphanages, UN feeding stations, water works, power plants, ambulances, kids playing on the beach. They put millions of people on a siege. They shoot children going to school. They kidnap kids and harvest their organs. They inject prisoners with disease pathogens before releasing them. They murder by land, sea and air. And worst of all, they slander their defenceless victims as 'terrorists'.” – David Attenborough, an English broadcaster on natural history for 60 years, 21 July 2014

“My view has been that our policy in relation to the Middle East Peace Process generally but more recently our approach and language during the current crisis in Gaza is morally indefensible, is not in Britain's national interest and will have a long term detrimental impact on our reputation internationally and domestically.”–Sayeeda Warsi, United Kingdom's first Muslim Cabinet minister, who resigned August 2014 in protest of her government's approach to the crisis in Gaza.

“Arabs and Muslims are not terrorists. The word should unite against Israel.” – Angelina Jolie, Hollywood actress. In March 2013, Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo publicly endorsed the Palestinian cause by refusing to swap shirts (a common ritual in international football) with Israeli players during their World Cup qualifier match in Tel Aviv. Ronaldo also donated €1.5 million to Palestinian children in Gaza in November 2012. He donated his 2011 Golden Boot to the Real Madrid foundationto raise money for building schools in Palestine.

Germany's Mesut Ozil is reportedly donating his 2014 FIFA World Cup earnings to the children of the Gaza Strip. According to a report published by Middle East Monitor news website, the German Football Association awarded each of the team's players a €300,000 bonus for winning the cup, in addition to €150,000 following their semi-final win and other rewards for every game.25-year-old Ozil, who is of Turkish descent and recites the holy Qur'an before games, is now set to give the money to the children in the besieged Palestinian coastal enclave.

"I don't see this as being politics or statehood for Palestine or Hamas. I think it's about taking innocent lives and the destruction of a culture. ... I've never been ashamed of my pacifist point of view of things at any time since I became a card-carrying hippie back in the '60s." – Jonathan Demme, Film Director, “The Silence of the Lambs.” "Gaza is living through horror these days, besieged and attacked by land, sea and air. Palestinians' homes are being destroyed, they are being denied water, electricity, free movement to their hospitals, schools and fields while the international community does nothing." – Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, actors, in an open letter signed together with other celebrities accusing Israel of "genocide".

'...being Jewish does not automatically mean you support this massacre, just like being Hebrew does not mean you are a Zionist, just like being Palestinian does not automatically make you a Hamas terrorist. That's just as absurd as saying that being German makes you Nazi.' – Javier Bardem.

“I can find no moral justification for bombing schools, hospitals, ambulances and defenceless civilians who cannot even flee to safety. …Ambulances are supposed to be protected in conflict zones but Israel has hit 10 and bombed two hospitals Gaza Under Attack". – Mia Farrow, Actress, 30 Jul 2014

"We're involved as American taxpayers, so, you know, I'm involved …I'm actually paying for these cruel assaults on innocent civilians. So I am balancing out my own crimes to some very small extent by lending my voice and my face to a video protesting what I myself am doing." – Actor Wallace Shawn, who is Jewish, famed as Rex the toy dinosaur in the “Toy Story” animated film series.

“To not be outraged at the killing of children is to risk your very soul. Gaza …The ugly inhuman siege of Gaza has had it's deadliest day today.” – Comedian Rob Rob Schneider, whose father is Jewish, 21 Jul 14.

Singer Rihanna was one of the first celebrities who shared her view on the conflict by twitting "free Palestine" on 16 July, provoking a controversy as people argued she should not openly speak about political issues, given her influence on millions of fans. Rihanna's tweet was shared at least 7,000 before the singer deleted it and replaced it with: "Let's pray for peace and a swift end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict! Is there any hope?"

"Please pray for those families and babies today. Please always remember what's important in life. It's not any of this. We are here to help, inspire and love. Be that change. we are the next generation." Her message also sparked controversy, with some telling her she has lost a lot of fans.

"If this was anybody else but Israel the West would intervene. It cannot continue. Innocent children being slaughtered. This must stop. In the name of humanity, the violence must stop. An innocent child killed on average every hour in Gaza. How can this continue? Stop Killing Children In Gaza 2:44 AM - 1 Aug 2014 – Joseph Barton, English Footballer.

“Children playing at the beach should never be a negative thing. Stop war gaza” Mario Balotelli, 18 Jul 2014, after four Palestinian children were killed by a shell fired by an Israeli ship, while they were playing football on a beach in Gaza. Mario Barwuah Balotelli is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club AC Milan and the Italian national team.

"I am shocked by the cowardly Israeli massacre in Gaza, and Barack Obama's cynical complicity. I am despairing that anything can be done to stop it. But its' still in our power to bear witness, so it cannot be said that we stood by silently." – Norman Finkelstein, an American political scientist, activist, professor, and author, born to Jewish parents who were Holocaust survivors.

"Israel's crimes have by now reached such an appalling level of savagery that any legitimate means should be used to protest them and bring them to an end, and soon, while something still survives their vicious and sadistic onslaught." – Noam Chomsky, US philosopher, who was born to Jewish parents.

Mira Bar-Hillel, journalist, born in Jerusalem 1946 but moved to the UK 1972, admitted to being on the verge of burning her Israeli passport, claiming in a recent interview on BBC to have "a lot of evidence" that many of Britain's 260,000 Jews will not speak up against Israel out of fear of being "ex-communicated" from their local community - fearing they will be blocked from their local synagogues, their children would be bullied and they would even be denied a Jewish burial.

"It is the psychology of the murderer, the rapist, the bully. That's what Israel is in this situation." – Alexei Sayle, Jewish-British comedian, actor and author.

Now the stifled voices from within Israel must speak out, and act decisively against their government if only to allay growing world opinion, sadly minus Obama and Cameroon, that Netanyahu and his gang (read State)are cold-blooded murderers.